Still a lot of Dosh at the top of the market

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Sheamus Mills, who has been a prominent figure in recent years purchasing high-end yearling fillies, says the top end of the bloodstock market continues to defy overall trends.

The value of black type for fillies has also skyrocketed, according to the Melbourne-based agent who cited the $1.35 million price Widden Stud paid for Ottawa Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) and Blue Diamond Preview (f) (Gr 3, 1000m) winner Dosh (Rich Enuff) at last week’s Chairman’s Sale.

“As far as black–type mares go, in my opinion they’ve gone up in value somewhere between 50 and 100 per cent over the past three to four years,” Mills said. 

“You can see with a horse like Dosh, even with a filly who was not an expensive yearling purchase, if you can win a two-year-old stakes race with these horses, their value is outstanding these days.”

Mills and major client Heath Newton have invested heavily in well-credentialled fillies, which has yielded them Group 1 winner Odeum (Written Tycoon) and lightly raced Queen Of The Green (Written Tycoon), this season’s Ottawa Stakes winner Charm Stone (I Am Invincible) and tried horse purchase Roots (Press Statement).

Mills said: “We’ve got a lot of young horses who look to be showing black–type ability and I think the market keeps reinforcing what we are trying to do, which is to be at that top end where the prices just seem to keep going up and defy the overall trend of these sales.”

The agent and his clients may also be about to see a return on their huge investment, with the  stakes-placed mare See Me Exceed’s (Sebring) first foal by Brazen Beau selling for $200,000 at Magic Millions in January and now she is in foal to champion sire I Am Invincible, as is their $1.6 million purchase, Group 1-winning Kiwi mare Bonham (Per Incanto), and their Thousand Guineas winner Odeum.

Highest-priced mares sold in Australasia

Mare                                   Price                       Sale

Milanova (Danehill)             $5 million                 2008 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale

Sunlight (Zoustar)               $4.2 million              2020 Magic Millions National 

Avantage (Fastnet Rock)   $4.1 million              2021 Gavelhouse

Away Game (Snitzel)          $4 million                 2022 Magic Millions National

Samantha Miss (Redoute’s Choice) $3.85 million 2009 Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale

Nimalee (So You Think)     $3.6 million              2023 Inglis Chairman’s

Montefilia (Kermadec)        $3.4 million              2023 Inglis Chairman’s

Virage De Fortune (Anabaa)  $3.4 million              2007 Inglis Broodmare Sale  

Listen Here (Elusive Quality)  $3.4 million              2016 Magic Millions National

Arcadia Queen (Pierro)      $3.2 million              2021 Magic Millions National

Tofane (Ocean Park)          $3.1 million              2022 Magic Millions National

Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago) $3 million        2009 Magic Millions National

 

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Continuing the theme of buyers being prepared to pay a premium for quality bloodstock, but discard those deemed to be unfashionable or not up to scratch, Tyreel Stud’s Linda Monds’ Hawkesbury-based farm sold seven weanlings at last week’s Inglis Australian sale for an average of $92,643.

Monds argues that if, as expected, the yearling market contracts over the next year or two that it was imperative breeders mated their mares commercially otherwise they faced a sales ring bloodbath.

“I actually think, if I can be outspoken enough, that it’s up to us breeders to try and breed commercial products. It’s unfortunate that you see nice horses being passed in, whether that’s because they are by non-commercial sires, I’m not sure, but it’s a very fickle market,” Monds told us. 

“It is very hard to predict what people are going to want to buy when you’re planning these matings, but it does make you think very hard when you are undertaking that task of creating the matings. 

“You have got to have that crystal ball and try to eliminate as many risks as possible.

“I think we’ll see, moving forward, people either not breeding mares or breeding to race [instead of sell]. 

“It is very hard to breed for that sales market. We’ve been very lucky over the years and I hope we continue to present the articles that people desire.”

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Should the Big A (Anamoe) represent the Big V (Victoria)? 

On Wednesday night, Godolphin’s nine-time Group 1 winner Anamoe was crowned the Hunter Valley Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s champion racehorse at the organisation’s annual event, a lead-in to the Scone Cup carnival.

Of course, the Hunter-born and raised Anamoe – who will stand for $121,000 (inc GST) in his first season at stud at Darley’s Kelvinside in the Hunter this year – is by shuttler Street Boss who stood for 11 years at Northwood Park in Victoria before switching states in 2021 and 2022.

Street Boss is returning “home” to Victoria this year.

So, can rising five-year-old Anamoe, who was conceived in Victoria and is by a Victorian-based sire, also lay claim to being Victoria’s champion racehorse?

The conundrum, which makes little difference in the scheme of things, reminds me of when Written Tycoon, a wonderful servant of the Victorian industry, was crowned Australia’s and Victoria’s premier stallion during his one-season at Arrowfield in the Hunter.

The uproar between Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria and Thoroughbred Breeders NSW when the issue was raised in this column about whether Written Tycoon or Shamus Award should have held the Victorian title still causes consternation and some people are still attempting to find out the identity of my source.

Those digging haven’t got close to identifying the individual and nor will I be disclosing them. 

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The Tom Dabernig-trained Flying Mascot (Tavistock), who is already a three-time Group 3 winner, is on the comeback trail from an injury which curtailed her three-start preparation last spring.

The rising six-year-old, the winner of the Tesio Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m), Mannerism Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) and Matron Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m), has not raced since Caulfield Cup day last October. 

“She is nearly up to gallop stage of her work. She is coming back slowly from the injury setback and Tom’s just taking her nice and easy,” Flying Start Syndications’ Cameron Bennett said. 

“I spoke to Tom [on Wednesday] and she might be ready for some trials next month. If she goes well and we think she is sound enough, then we’ll push on with her main goal being early in the spring.

“We spoke about the Tatt’s Tiara [in Queensland], but Tom would have to push her too hard to get there.”

Bennett’s Flying Start Syndications will be selling the stakes-placed mare Deep Sceiva (Deep Field) as Lot 552 through the Blue Sky Premium Consignment at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.